


Acacia

by demonsushi01



Series: Stoneheart: Side Stories [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Confessions, F/M, First Kiss, Love Confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:41:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26549893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demonsushi01/pseuds/demonsushi01
Summary: Acacia -  a·ca·cia - /əˈkāSHə/noun1. a tree or shrub of warm climates that bears spikes or clusters of yellow or white flowers and is frequently thorny.---Side story for Stoneheart. Pidge's perspective of events just after Chapter 39.  I do recommend you read it first.
Relationships: Hunk/Pidge | Katie Holt
Series: Stoneheart: Side Stories [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1580962
Comments: 6
Kudos: 24





	Acacia

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Stoneheart](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17467529) by [demonsushi01](https://archiveofourown.org/users/demonsushi01/pseuds/demonsushi01). 



> Hey-o!
> 
> This chapter is at the tail end of Chapter 39 of Stoneheart. I recommend you read it, though it isn't fully necessary.

You tell yourself, the same way you’ve told yourself for the past two years, that tonight is the night you  _ will _ tell Hunk. You  _ will _ tell him about your horribly messy feelings for him and how much you want to be with him. This year feels more real than the others before it. Perhaps it’s because you had thought he was already lost to Romelle.

Knowing she has not an ounce of romantic feelings for Hunk and, according to her, he has no intention of being with her either is a relief. You have multiple opportunities throughout the day to say them. Several times the words fly to the tip of your tongue:

“I have a confession.”

Only for the words to evaporate as soon as he turns to you. Damn him and those warm brown eyes. You can’t escape his gaze. It’s all-encompassing and your heart claws at your throat. And with Romelle and Lance present you chicken out even faster than before. You tell him something else instead as a buffer. 

But you know for a fact you’re going to run out of things to say when the words spill out of you. You resort to burying your face every time the urge comes up, in the fluffy critter Hunk won for you. Repeat.  _ Won. For. You. _

You name the critter Gidget. 

Gidget doesn’t judge you. 

Gidget understands.

You eat the desserts that Hunk offers you three. You swipe pieces off of Lance’s plate and replace them with some from yours to keep things fair. Especially when he has this spacey look to him. 

“Are you okay?” Romelle asks him first.

“Huh?” 

“Yeah, you looked like you got uncomfortable there near the end.” You lean against the table you four found to eat at. It has you wondering if the messages in the play translated poorly to him.

“It’s just… the way they were talking about the mages. It seemed really unfair.” He crossed his arms and looks away

“It was.” Hunk agrees. “But it’s what happened to them among other things.” He says.

“Yeah, I heard about it.” He sighs and pokes at his slice of cake, you figure Keith probably told him about the mages. It has you insanely curious what details Keith could tell you about them, if he knew any of their techniques that have been lost. 

“But what bothered me about it the most is I’ve heard them say similar stuff back home. Though, instead of being directed at mages, it’s to anyone who practices magick.” 

“Like Veronica,” Romelle mumbles softly.

“Like me.” He frowns

“I’m sorry.” She rests her hand over his arm. 

“It’s something I have to figure out how to explain to my folks.” He rests his cheek in his hand. 

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Hunk asks.

“Not really? I mean other than maybe be willing to provide room and board for me if something goes wrong and I end up disowned from the family.” He chuckles.

“I mean, there’s always extra room in my folks' place.” He says with a smile. 

“Sleepover at Hunk’s?” You suggest. “All four of us?”

“Me too?” Romelle blinks.

“Of course, you’re our friend.” You nudge her and steal a bite of her chocolate and then push your cake closer to her. It’s the best you can offer as an internal apology. You had meant Keith, not her after all.

“Sounds fun.” She says, taking a bite of your cake.

“It’d be nice to have one outside of the castle.” Lance agrees with a calculating smirk. You bet you could guess what he’s thinking about in one shot. When he falls silent this time it’s a far nicer one than before. 

So much so that when he gasps, ever so softly, sitting up straight, you know that means Keith is nearby. It’s a gut feeling you have. You try looking around for him but don’t make him out in the crowds or on the roofs.

“Hey um, it’s time for me to go meet up with uh…” Lance trails off.

“Oh yeah man, go!” Hunk waves you off.

“Be safe on your  _ date _ .” You wink. If they haven’t done the hanky-panky yet, they just might tonight.

“Don’t get too nasty, remember you have to be back at the castle by midnight,” Romelle adds.

“I’ll be safe and I will be back by midnight.” He tells you as he gets up. 

“I see you have no promises about being nasty.” Romelle laughs.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He shrugs as he walks away with a grin. He disappears seamlessly into the crowds and you click your tongue. 

“Well, should we continue?” Hunk asks.

“I’d love to, but I should get going too.” Romelle apologizes as she gets up. “I believe I need to trade off with Coran in royal babysitting duties.” She chuckles.

“Aw, okay.” Hunk frowns.

“Have fun then?” You aren’t sure what the appropriate response is.

“You too.” She gives you a wink and leaves.  _ Son of bitch, she doesn’t have to do anything! _ You look over to Hunk who smiles at you. You bury your face into Gidget. You’re glad you lost your facepaint already.

“Well, now that they’re all gone…” He trails off, rubbing the back of his neck. It’s his nervous tic, his shy tic, it’s something uniquely  _ him _ . You can’t think of Hunk  _ not _ rubbing the back of his neck before doing or saying something he’s hesitant about. 

He’s been doing it a lot more recently. 

“Should we get started?” He asks.

“Hell yeah.” You get up.

“What first?” He asks, his hand finding yours as it has been all night. Your heart pounds in your ears and you mentally apologize to Gidget for biting onto one of its legs. 

He doesn’t mind the lack of response, simply pulling you closer to him to keep you from getting swept away in the sea of people. His height is an advantage in this chaos. He pulls you through until you’re back in the town square. 

“The usual?” Hunk asks with a sun-bright smile. You let go of Gidget’s leg.

“I have a confession.” Damn your heart. His face goes neutral, prepared, ready. 

“Okay.” He nods. What the hell are you going to say?  _ Tell him you love him,  _ your mind screams.

“You remember we were growing mold as an experiment in my mom’s fridge?” Your mouth says instead.  _ Fuck! _

“Oh yeah!” Hunk laughs and your knees get weak. “Man, I remember you said Bae-bae ate it.”

“Nope. Dad did. By accident.”

“...Holy shit. That…” Hunk looks far more concerned now.

“Could’ve killed him? I know. Makes me wonder the hell the man’s made of.” You laugh weakly. Hunk whines.

“We’re not going to test anything else on your dad.” He says. 

“Didn’t plan on it.” You admit. “Anyway, let’s do the usual.” 

The usual starts with a scrap hunt. People are peddling all kinds of useless junk this time of year and since you and Hunk know more about the cost of metal than most of these buffoons, it’s easy to haggle for a good price. You’re both in need of more scrap materials for your various projects. Especially because your dad keeps stealing from your piles.

After you’ve acquired your scrap, you both haul it back to your place for now. It’s the safest out of the two places, even with your dad’s thefts. Hunk has young niblings running around and they can easily get hurt. You store it in your closet this time, your dad hasn’t found it in here yet. 

Hunk stands awkwardly in the middle of the room, hand on his neck again. You wonder what is going through his mind right now. It’s the one thing you dislike about these masks you’re wearing, you can’t see the way his brow furrows or read the other small subtleties about his expression. 

“You okay?” You end up asking him. 

“I have a confession.” He says. Of all the places he could have this. The air feels thick. Your heart races. You clear your throat.

“Okay.” 

“I…” He hesitates.  _ Why? _ You feel like you’re on fire. 

“You?” 

“Um.” He looks away from you, eyes flicking around your half of the room. “I don’t actually think that Aries and Capricorns can’t work well together.” He ends up saying.

“Oh.” It’s a good thing, you think. You don’t put a lot of stock in the zodiac stuff, but you know that Hunk does and for him to go against what it tells him? It must be pretty damn important. 

“So… yeah.” He winces.

“That’s cool. I’m glad you are finally willing to reconsider what a bunch of dead stars are telling you.” You say picking Gidget up once again.

“Yeah huh?”

“Second trip?” You offer. 

“Yeah.” He agrees.

Your second trip involves going to a specific stall that only opens for this festival alone. The woman who works the booth is very peculiar. You don’t buy things from her shop, she gives you a gift, one you  _ need _ . And she’s the one who picks it out for you.

You two go because she has provided you both with hilarious gifts that ended up being super useful when you least expected it. Right now she has a small line queued up around her stall. You and Hunk wait patiently and joke about what you might get this year. 

“I have a confession.” Tumbles out of your lips.

“Yeah?” Hunk looks at you.

“Um…” You hold Gidget close.

“Um?” He teases you lightly.

“I think... that um… thatyou’reprettyhandsomeokay?” Your say in a rush, half mumbled into Gidget.

“What?” He tilts his head, not catching it. 

“I think that you’re pretty handsome okay!” You shout, catching the attention of a few people around you. “You’re tall, strong, and you make me feel safe. And that makes you  _ very  _ handsome believe it or not!” You whine in embarrassment and cover your face.

“Does it?”

“Yes! It makes my knees weak when I hear your laugh and see your smile and lift a three-hundred-pound box of scrap metal.”

“Oh.” Hunk sounds a bit dumbfounded by this revelation, red in the face. You glance up at him and he rubs the back of his neck.  _ Maybe you’ve said too much _ . 

“I have my own confession then.” He says. 

“...Okay?”

“I think you’re absolutely captivating.”

“C-Captivating?”

“Yeah.” He nods. “There’s a reason my favorite color is golden-honey.” 

“What reason is that?”

“...It’s the color of your eyes.” He tells you. He moves forward in the line, his hand reaching out to tug you along. 

“My eyes?” You whisper, but he doesn’t seem to catch it. It’s been his favorite color since you met him though. Your heart flutters in your chest. 

The lady gives you a single bud of a flower encased in resin. She calls it an Acacia and tells you to look for the big picture. She then gives Hunk an unlabeled and sealed plain box. She says that he will know the right time to open it. You walk away and look over to him when he chuckles.

“What?” You ask.

“I guess you could say her gift to you  _ rose _ to the occasion.” He snickers. You groan loudly and shove at his arms. It does nothing to him, not even a stumble.

“Yours is a rose!” You shout.

The third thing you do to nearly complete your traditions is getting a sweet drink from one of the vendors. You step up onto a bench, something you’ve both learned is necessary for this to work properly due to your height difference, and link arms. 

“Is it my turn this year?” You ask.

“Yep.”

“Okay… What to toast to. To good luck?” You offer.

“To health?”

“To love?” 

“...To love.” He agrees. Your chest constricts around yourself.

“T-To love! Let it find its way where it’s needed the most tonight!” You say.

“Cheers!” 

You carefully drink from the glass in your hand without unlinking your arm. Hunk does the same with his drink. You chug until there’s nothing left in your cup and once Hunk finishes you untangle your arms. Now all that’s left for your traditions is to --

“I have a confession,” Hunk says, interrupting your thought.

“Okay.” 

“I realized I hadn’t been wholly honest about…our friendship.” He starts. Your anxiety spikes through the roof.

“What do you mean?”

“Remember when we first met in Thace’s class? At least, officially met.”

“I remember.” You nod. You couldn’t forget walking in late to find the guy you would end up crushing hard on for years.

“You remember I told you I wanted to be friends with you because I thought you were brilliant?” He says. 

“Yes.”

“I kinda lied.” He winces. You squint at him.

“So you  _ don’t  _ think I’m smart?”

“Oh, no, I  _ know _ you are.” He backpedals. “What I mean to say is, it wasn’t my actual reason.”

“Then what  _ was _ your reason?” God above this could rattle the very fabric of your relationship together.

“I… I really wanted to just get to know you more. Not just because you were smart but because I liked your handwriting and the way you dressed and… I thought you were amazing then and you’re amazing now.” He won’t look you in the eye.

“I also have a confession then.” You say and he turns back to you.

“Yeah?”

“I wanted to know you more too. I know I was kinda distant at first but I didn’t know how to be with someone like you. So, kind-hearted, sweet, loving…” Your face burns. “I’m… I’m glad I took the chance to let you in.” 

He smiles brightly and it’s a sucker-punch through your whole torso. He leaves you so rattled. It’s so unfair. It’s unfair that Hunk guides you off the bench with careful hands. It’s unfair that he doesn’t know how much of you he holds in them. It’s unfair that he’s so  _ easy _ to love.

The two of you look for a good spot to sit for the final part of your tradition, the fireworks. You sit close to Hunk, Gidget in your lap, and puzzle piece in hand. Are you scared to tell Hunk about your feelings?  _ More than anything. _ You love him, a lot, and he’s an amazing friend and if you lose him because your heart wants more from him, you’d be devastated.

More than with anyone before him.

Maybe it’s because you’ve held the crush for as long as you have. Maybe it’s a boiling pressure cooker, far too dangerous to open up but  _ more _ dangerous to leave sealed. You play with Gidget’s legs and look up at the sky with the first loud whistle. 

The pop and then echoing bang reverberates through your chest, you feel it down to your bones and core. It’s a bright splash of colors against the night sky, ashes slowly falling back.  _ Whistle! Pop! Bang! _ It’s dazzling and beautiful. 

You look to Hunk and find him staring at you. You have to say it. Maybe it’ll be just like these fireworks, bright, loud, colorful, and over in seconds. But by the Gods, you  _ want  _ to fucking see it. You want to know what it’s like to be wrapped up in the beauty of it, if only for a moment.

_ Whistle! Pop! Bang! _

You swallow your fear down and take a deep breath.

“I have a confession to make.” You say at the same time as him. You both blink.

_ Whistle! Pop! Pop! Bang! _

“Oh uh.” Hunk clears his throat.

“Um.” You lick your lips.

“You first.” He says.

“No way, I did the last one. You first.”

_ Whistle! Pop! Bang! Bang! _

“Pidge, you’re gonna forget! You first!” He whines.

“I won’t, holy shit I won’t, just go!” You wouldn’t be able to forget.

“No, you!”

“You!” You nudge him.

“You!”

“You!” You poke his chest.  _ Are you really arguing about this? _

“You!”

“You!” You face him dead on now. 

_ Whistle! Pop! Bang! _

“Agh!” He whines, pushing his mask up. Then his hands are on your face, doing the same to your mask. He stares at you for a second.

In that second  _ everything  _ runs through your mind. His hands are warm. Are you sweaty? You feel sweaty. You feel tingly. Do you have something on your face? What is he doing?

_ Whistle! Whistle! Whistle! _

He leans forward and presses his lips to yours. Your mind goes wonderfully blank. You throw your arms around his shoulders and kiss him back.

_ Bang! Boom! Sizzle! _

He shifts, pulling you into his chest. Your fingers tangle in his hair. He tastes like cream and cookies and love. So much love. You didn’t know it had a taste until now. 

_ Crackle! Bang! Pop! _

You don’t know who breaks the kiss, it doesn’t matter.

“I’m in love with you.” Bursts out of you, color flashing across Hunk’s face. It leaves you breathless.

“Oh good! I was hoping that’s why you were kissing me back.” He laughs, clearly relieved. “I’m in love with you too.”

“How long?” You have to know. He blows out his cheeks and shakes his head.

“Years.” He answers.

“Fuck.”  _ You could have had this for a while now!? _ “Me too.”

“Really?” Hunk raises his brows. 

“We’re such dumbasses.” You groan and cover your face.

“Can you believe we gave Lance and Keith all kinds of flack for the same thing?” Hunk doesn’t stop holding you.

“Karma? I guess?” You look back up at him. You want to kiss him again. And again. And you can. And you do.

He hums and you feel it through your lips, through your teeth, and it crawls into you and settles in your chest. It makes a home in your heart where it always had space. Someone near you clears their throat and you and Hunk jolt apart. 

It’s fair. Your tongue  _ was _ chasing that taste of love once more. You laugh and so does he and when you look at his flushed face you see how badly smudged his makeup is now. You wonder how much of it is on you. The thought fills your heart with contentment and shivers along your spine with a drop of desire.

“So… You want to be my boyfriend?” You ask.

“As long as you’re my datemate.” He says. Your face breaks into a wide grin that matches his.

“Yeah. I want to.”

“I do too.” He says. 

You hold his hand tightly in yours, head on his shoulder, Gidget freed from where it had been caught between you, and you watch the fireworks show. It brands itself into your chest and ribs with each burst, each explosion, just as Hunk does. Just as Hunk will.

**Author's Note:**

> Feed my beautiful Punks, grow strong <3
> 
> Feel free to scream at me in the comments below or over at Demon-Sushi on tumblr


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